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Upper Pennsylvanian Possible Burrow


Bullsnake

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I found this a couple of years ago and have periodically taken it out to examine it as I've found the accumulation of fauna adhering to it's surface as very interesting.

For awhile I affectionately referred to it as an accretion (as opposed to a concretion), envisioning a clump of mud rolling around in the wave action of a shoreline picking up bits of dead fauna.

 

But now, with the fairly recent posts that have come up about crustacean burrows, I'm second guessing.

On the exterior of this piece are brachiopod shell bits and molds, possible pectinid shell molds, crinoid columnals, and tiny gastropod steinkerns and exterior molds with decoration. The dark clumps appear to be pyrite.

There are two depression areas, one on the large end, and a smaller one that is offset of the smaller end. These I speculate to be the exposed chamber, should this be a burrow.

Notably within these depressions are oval shaped pellets and an interesting fibrous texture.

 

So, I now defer to your opinions!

Thank you for looking!

 

IMG_0985.jpg.80e615030a80a8c78c98e26209ad85b0.jpgIMG_0986.jpg.de6990a19829443c8e05d1e9081d39d2.jpgIMG_0985e.jpg.c5894056f2bd692303f43890097dd358.jpgIMG_0986..jpg.3806180498c8d9ca0d4bd6e60cc319b6.jpgIMG_0998.jpg.2b118ba887acdfd5ec9350cec611a9d0.jpgIMG_1005.jpg.1f7fc24733e0a282f2f0a55b8d913eb5.jpg

 

 

Steve

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Very interesting! I just read about varanus panoptes, the only creature to dig spiraling burrows. The only known to author of the article. I am not suggesting that is what that is. 

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I really wish someone would take up the study of Upper Pennsylvanian burrows. When I saw your title i was hoping you had one of the odd burrows we find in the Virgil Series here in Texas but now you just added another mystery to the list. Some of ours have bits of shell and balls of mud like you might see on the cap of a modern crayfish hole and some are lined with fecal pellets. Still others have what has been described as a mucus lining forming longitudinal striations and sometimes a core and sometimes signs of very irregular segmentation. I know it can be hard to assign a creature to it's burrow but these need to at least get assigned a name so we can label them.

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4 minutes ago, BobWill said:

I know it can be hard to assign a creature to it's burrow but these need to at least get assigned a name so we can label them.

Burrow indet.

 

 

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I believe this is the first step. Listing, location, size, weight, visual, and any description possible. The documentation will establish your find for later use.

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I wouldn't discount lungfish aestivation burrow

edit: Letting this one stand.(Adult?)paleozoic dipnoid burrows are probably larger.

 

 

 

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If the specimen is from Upper Pennsylvanian strata, there's no chance for pectinid bivalves. :)

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

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15 minutes ago, abyssunder said:

If the specimen is from Upper Pennsylvanian strata, there's no chance for pectinid bivalves. :)

I'm not exactly sure what is included in "pectinid bivalves" but Aviculopecten and Acanthopecten (commonly called scallops) both occur at Jacksboro.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviculopecten

My goal is to leave no stone or fossil unturned.   

See my Arizona Paleontology Guide    link  The best single resource for Arizona paleontology anywhere.       

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I wonder if the fecal pellets could be from this. It reminds me of what I assumed to be dried up bristly marine worms of some sort that I have seen in crevices of east coast coprolites and (I think) the Merritt Island matrix. The ones I have seen are modern. I always thought about rehydrating one to see what they looked like. 

 

I'm in the burrow camp.

Pellets and identified2.jpg

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55 minutes ago, DPS Ammonite said:

I'm not exactly sure what is included in "pectinid bivalves" but Aviculopecten and Acanthopecten (commonly called scallops) both occur at Jacksboro.

I'm referring to the family not to the order.

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

My Library

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Here's some pictures I took of some modern burrow entrances. Or actually just one the pictures wouldn't all load

IMG_4097.JPG

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5 hours ago, GeschWhat said:

I wonder if the fecal pellets could be from this. It reminds me of what I assumed to be dried up bristly marine worms of some sort that I have seen in crevices of east coast coprolites and (I think) the Merritt Island matrix. The ones I have seen are modern. I always thought about rehydrating one to see what they looked like. 

 

I'm in the burrow camp.

Pellets and identified2.jpg

Speaking of rehydration tardigrades are pretty cool.

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Thank you all for the responses!

@BobWill I'm sorry for compounding the mystery of the burrow ID's, but you've inspired me to dig deeper (no pun intended) to seek the possibility of finding someone who has studied them. I think a good start will be Kansas University Invertebrate Paleontology department.

And as a side note, your Penn. fossils have much better preservation than ours!:envy:

 

@Malone Thank you for the input, but if it's the monitor lizards your referring to, not quite invented yet!:)

And yes, one of these days I will seek out tardigrades!

 

@doushantuo That's a fascinating idea! To me that would be an exciting find if it is a lungfish aestivation chamber. I have to ask, by your statement "Letting this one stand", are you suggesting that's what you think it is? I had thought it was large for a crustacean burrow, however, I see your point that it may be small for a lungfish.

 

@abyssunder First of all, my apologies for misspelling of pectenid. And secondly, as @DPS Ammonite suggested, it is aviculopecten that I was referring to. 'Bivalve' would have been more appropriate, I think.

This is the mold:

IMG_0991.jpg.a390f3b8a18a9a81a373deead7c6c192.jpg

 

@GeschWhat Thank you for the burrow vote!

I resisted calling the pellets 'fecal' due to the recent posts that contend fecal pellets are round as opposed to oval. However, I am confused as there were statements that seemed to be to the contrary.

I also considered the fibrous texture as possible worm castings (nematode-like?).

 

 

 

 

Steve

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20 hours ago, Malone said:

I believe this is the first step. Listing, location, size, weight, visual, and any description possible. The documentation will establish your find for later use.

 

Point taken. I did document the exact location of the find, and I failed to mention in the OP that it is the Oread formation, and I believe it is the Snyderville shale member.

I haven't weighed it...yet!;)

Steve

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20 hours ago, caldigger said:

Burrow indet.

 

Thank you! Labeled as such per your suggestion!:)

Steve

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I suppose, according to my actual knowledge, the specimen in question might be close to Thalassinoides, having also the " burrow offshoot" branch. The picked-up shell bits might be used for consolidation of the burrow wall.  "The dark clumps appear to be pyrite." - as you said.

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

My Library

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2 hours ago, GeschWhat said:

And much cuter I suspect. :) I don't thing the worms spring back to life, though.

I wasn't suggesting that fossilized poop would. 

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1 hour ago, Bullsnake said:

Thank you all for the responses!

@BobWill I'm sorry for compounding the mystery of the burrow ID's, but you've inspired me to dig deeper (no pun intended) to seek the possibility of finding someone who has studied them. I think a good start will be Kansas University Invertebrate Paleontology department.

And as a side note, your Penn. fossils have much better preservation than ours!:envy:

 

@Malone Thank you for the input, but if it's the monitor lizards your referring to, not quite invented yet!:)

And yes, one of these days I will seek out tardigrades!

 

@doushantuo That's a fascinating idea! To me that would be an exciting find if it is a lungfish aestivation chamber. I have to ask, by your statement "Letting this one stand", are you suggesting that's what you think it is? I had thought it was large for a crustacean burrow, however, I see your point that it may be small for a lungfish.

 

@abyssunder First of all, my apologies for misspelling of pectenid. And secondly, as @DPS Ammonite suggested, it is aviculopecten that I was referring to. 'Bivalve' would have been more appropriate, I think.

This is the mold:

IMG_0991.jpg.a390f3b8a18a9a81a373deead7c6c192.jpg

 

@GeschWhat Thank you for the burrow vote!

I resisted calling the pellets 'fecal' due to the recent posts that contend fecal pellets are round as opposed to oval. However, I am confused as there were statements that seemed to be to the contrary.

I also considered the fibrous texture as possible worm castings (nematode-like?).

 

 

 

 

Didn't say they were or even try to imply it.

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3 minutes ago, Malone said:

Didn't say they were or even try to imply it.

 

I apologize. I guess I didn't understand where you were going with it then!

Steve

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11 minutes ago, Bullsnake said:

 

I apologize. I guess I didn't understand where you were going with it then!

Just an interesting observation pertaining to burrows. Like the observation in rehydration. I wasn't aware that fossilized material could be rehydrated even if it can I definitely wasn't stating that coprolites where living entities. I texted specifically that I wasn't suggesting that monitor lizards created the burrows. Also I texted the "only known to the author" about spiraling burrows. 

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to clarify:the ecological requirements of early tetrapods and dipnoans might be dissimilar,as would/might be the burrowing abilities.

Ichnite shown:the Permian Torridorefugnichnium.

One more instance of a hard-to-pronounce name,but hey,the name means something ,obviously :P

 

 

 

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49 minutes ago, doushantuo said:

refutg2teeetrey22m353plwillist.jpg

refuthg2teeetrey22m353plwillist.jpg

As always your research ability is amazing. The consolidation of pertinent information will benefit all who seek to learn.

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8 minutes ago, doushantuo said:

to clarify:the ecological requirements of early tetrapods and dipnoans might be dissimilar,as would/might be the burrowing abilities.

Ichnite shown:the Permian Torridorefugnichnium.

One more instance of a hard-to-pronounce name,but hey,the name means something ,obviously :P

Yeah the most complete understanding of the words would be a crucial base of the most pertinent information. I haven't even figured out what all the letters mean yet.

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